Shloka 17

Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma

Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच श्र॒त्वा श्येनस्य तद्‌ वाक्‍्यं राजर्षिविस्मयं गत: । सम्भाव्य चैनं तद्वाक्यं तदर्थी प्रत्यमभाषत,भीष्मजी कहते हैं--युधिष्ठि![ बाजकी यह बात सुनकर राजर्षि उशीनरको बड़ा विस्मय हुआ। वे उसके कथनकी प्रशंसा करके कपोतकी रक्षाके लिये इस प्रकार बोले --

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca śrutvā śyenasy tad vākyam rājarṣi-vismayaṁ gataḥ | sambhāvya cainaṁ tad-vākyaṁ tad-arthī pratyamabhāṣata ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: Als der königliche Weise die Worte des Habichts vernahm, geriet er in großes Erstaunen. Er billigte und ehrte die Rede des Habichts und, darauf bedacht, das Begehrte zu sichern—den Schutz der Taube—antwortete er entsprechend und leitete damit eine dharmische Lösung ein, in der Mitgefühl und Gerechtigkeit gegeneinander abzuwägen sind.

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

श्रुत्वाhaving heard

श्येनस्यof the hawk

तत्that

वाक्यम्speech/statement

राजर्षि-विस्मयम्astonishment of the royal sage

गतःhaving gone to / having attained

सम्भाव्यhaving praised/approved; having shown respect

चand

एनम्him

तत्-वाक्यम्that statement

तत्-अर्थीseeking that (object/purpose); intent on that

प्रत्यभाषतreplied/answered

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Shyena (hawk)

Rajarshi (king-sage, i.e., Uśīnara in this episode)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler committed to dharma must respond thoughtfully even to an opponent’s reasonable claim: he should acknowledge valid arguments, yet remain steadfast in protecting the vulnerable, seeking a just solution rather than acting from impulse.

What is happening in the narrative?

The hawk presents its claim; the king-sage, amazed by the hawk’s reasoning, praises it and then replies with the intention of safeguarding the dove—moving the dialogue toward a test of royal righteousness and ethical balance.